In addition, thousands of independent retailers have also closed by choice or state mandate.

Here are some things to look for and avoid in a turn key company:Don't allow financing or a finance contingency (it can be a good indication they are selling above market value)Don't allow for your own independent property inspectionAre not realistic with their pro forma's (i.e. they don't include vacancy or maintenance projections or use unrealistically low vacancy factors)Require you to pay for any renovation upfrontSell only in cheap. low end neighborhoodsDon't accurately represent the neighborhood/property classificationDon't have consistent rehab standards for all propertiesDon't provide a scope of work for the propertyCan't provide references of repeat investorsRequire you to close before a tenant is in place

The goal being to reach some level of financial independence to be able to focus full-time on real estate investing after 5 to 10 years, at which point we would be looking to take salaries from our venture.Would be very interested in experiences setting up a business entity - things you wished you knew when you got started, things you'd have done differently, especially best way to take advantage of taxes.

I don’t know if others have more specific tool suggestions but yes I did a lot of googling and reading city statistics/forums.

When it comes to finding a brokerage that is perfect for part time agents, you want to look for a company that will treat you as an independent contractor/business rather one that sees you as an employee. 

My question is, can I be an independent realtor and have access to the MLS and write my own offers, without being employed at a brokerage?

Unless you are independently wealthy, don't underestimate the power of having a steady and sizable W2. 

To say that this is compared to the flu at all, we have to compare counted deaths to counted deaths, not counted deaths to statistical estimates.

And most importantly, what is your annual income before taxes, not including 1099/independent contractor income that isn’t taxed and likely won’t be considered in factoring your DTI towards a mortgage.

This allows for a neutral 3rd party to independently determine what the scope of the project will be and the associated price.